Airlines' July on-time performance improves

AIRLINES Comair, JetBlue, United, American are ranked worst

Delta Air Lines' regional subsidiary Comair had the worst on-time performance in July among airlines surveyed by the Transportation Department, according to government data released Wednesday.

But overall, the nation's airlines were on time more often in July compared with a year ago, and customers filed fewer complaints about their baggage, the agency said.

The department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics said the 19 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 75.7 percent in July, higher than both July 2007's 69.8 percent and June 2008's 70.8 percent.

The bureau also said the nation's carriers canceled 1.7 percent of their scheduled domestic flights in July, lower than both the 2.1 percent cancellation rate of July 2007 and the 1.8 percent rate posted in June of this year.

Comair had the worst on-time arrival rate, at 63.31 percent. JetBlue Airways was next at 64.6 percent.

United Airlines was third worst at 68.25 percent, and American Airlines, which had the worst on-time performance in June, was fourth from the bottom in July, at 69.51 percent.

Regional carrier Pinnacle Airlines had the best on-time rate in July compared with a year ago, at 85.6 percent, according to the government's data.

Among legacy carriers, Northwest Airlines had the best on-time performance in July compared with a year ago, at 79.51 percent, good for seventh best overall. Among discount carriers, Southwest Airlines was best, at 83.05 percent, good for third best overall.

The airlines got better in handling baggage.

Overall, the airlines posted a mishandled baggage rate of 4.86 reports per 1,000 passengers in July, an improvement over both July 2007's rate of 7.96 and June 2008's 5.15 rate.

Comair had the worst mishandled baggage rate in July with 9.02 reports per 1,000 passengers. Northwest had the best rate at 3.09.

In July, the airlines filing on-time performance data reported that 7.78 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, 7.17 percent by late-arriving aircraft, 6.3 percent by factors within the airline's control such as maintenance or crew problems, and 1.01 percent by extreme weather, the government said.